When Autumn Falls
by xMegxGiryx
Summary: Between forgetting and remembering, there is a point of absolute clarity.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N (xMegxGiryx): Hey, guys! This is a Glessa or Glindarose (meaning Glinda/Nessarose) fanfiction! It's an intermission fic, mostly musical based, and a bit AU. Please read and review!**

**A/N: Hello fellow Ozians, it's TheWitch'sDorothy! This is my and xMegxGiryx's new collaboration. I'll write one chapter, she'll write the next one, and we'll switch off like that. Please read and review! We hope you enjoy the** **story! :D**

* * *

_ "She doesn't really love you! How can you be so naïve?!" _Fiyero's parting words echoed through her head as she sat in a secluded section of the library, staring fixedly at book titles that meant next to nothing to her. Nessarose buried her face in her delicate hands and shook her head, trying to clear the doubts that he had placed there. Letting out a deep sigh, she took her hands away from her face and forced herself to calm down. _He doesn't know what he's talking about. He doesn't know Glinda as well as he thinks- or pretends to think- he does. _Inwardly, Nessarose cursed the day Glinda had decided to trust Fiyero with the truth of their relationship. While the prince had been supportive at first, after Elphaba's departure he had become more and more irritable, more of a source of strife than one of comfort. Truth be told, Nessarose was just overwhelmed by all that had happened over the past few months. Her and Glinda's relationship had been tested to the point of endurance, the strain of keeping it hidden from the population of Shiz and dealing with everything around them pushing them both to their limits.

It had all started to go awry when Glinda returned from the Emerald City-alone. Elphaba had left her, choosing instead to dedicate herself to her cause and openly declare defiance against the Wizard. The blonde had been in tears, not able to speak without being gripped by racking sobs. Nessarose had done her best to comfort her, as it hurt her beyond belief to see the woman she loved brought to so low by grief, but she could barely process what had happened. Her sister, the girl who swore that she would always be there for her, had left her all alone. And for what? For some stupid Goat and some monkeys, and in doing so, she'd hurt everyone who ever cared about her! Nessarose couldn't ever forgive her for that. Nessarose began to spend every waking moment with the blonde woman, holding her hand, kissing her, whispering sweet nothings into her ear, anything to get her mind of off Elphaba. It was around this time, when the two girls had become even closer, that Fiyero had begun lashing out at them, though whether it was out of hurt that they had each other while he had no one or as a way to take out his pent-up frustration, Nessarose wasn't quite sure. All she knew was that suddenly, she had to (essentially) take care of Glinda, deal with Fiyero's criticisms, keep up with her schoolwork, and keep herself from going out of her mind. It was something that shouldn't have to be put on the shoulders of anyone, much less a sixteen-year-old, wheelchair-bound university student.

As if that hadn't been bad enough, it was soon after that the newspaper articles began to print. Nessarose could barely stand to look at anyone when they did, not wanting to see the looks of pity- or increasingly often, fear or disgust- that came her way. She had begun to stay up all night, dividing her time between Glinda and homework, something that didn't help her grades any. It was around this time, when Nessarose was on the verge of breaking, that Glinda snapped out of whatever mindset she was in. Nessarose had been crying, frustrated and angry at all that had happened, and for the first time in months it was Glinda was the one who was doing the comforting. The blonde's sweet kisses brought Nessarose back to herself and they flourished because of it. It was then that Nessarose had felt that there was maybe a little hope, a cause to be happy. But once again, the idiot that was Fiyero Tiggular had to ruin it with his thoughtless. Honestly, Nessarose didn't understand what Elphaba saw in him.

It was because of him that Glinda had stormed into the room they now shared, wiping away tears of hurt and anger. (For once in her fishy life, Morrible had taken pity and allowed them to room together. Nessarose thought it was so that she could deal with Glinda, so the head wouldn't have to. It was no secret to her that Morrible despised the blonde, so the arrangement worked out well. Though if she knew about their relationship, Nessarose knew that she wouldn't have been so giving.) Apparantly, Fiyero had cornered her after dinner and told her that Nessarose was too good for her, that someone as fake as Glinda didn't deserve to have someone so genuine love her. Nessarose had gingerly slipped onto the bed, holding Glinda tightly in her arms and kissing her tears away, silently cursing Fiyero. She'd never asked for his opinion, so why in Oz's name did he feel so entitled to give it? She understood that he missed Elphaba, so did she, but that didn't give him the right to try to tear them apart! She had stayed with Glinda until the girl had fallen into an exhausted sleep, before quietly leaving their room and going off to find the idiot that had caused all of this.

She'd found Fiyero standing outside the main building, looking out across the lamplit grounds of Shiz with a wistful expression on his face. His dark blond hair had shone in the lights as he stared out towards the library. When she had furiously asked him why he'd talked to Glinda, he told her that Glinda didn't love her, that she only wanted something to call her own and since Elphaba had left her, Nessarose was the next person in line. That had infuriated her to no end and she had left in disgust, resisting the urge to reach up and punch the older boy in the face. Having no desire to be near anyone, she had gone to the only place that she could think of that she would be left alone: the library.

Now she was sitting among the rows of encyclopdias that Elphaba had once engrossed herself in deciphering while the Rhinoceros was dusting off the heavy tomes and replacing them back in their spots on the shelves. Sighing, Nessarose decided that it would be for the best if she returned to her room. She still had an entire paper to write for Dr. Dillamond's class, anyway.

She didn't hear the thud of the book as the librarian pushed too far into the bookshelf and it fell.

She didn't hear his cry of warning.

There was a flash of pain and all went black.

* * *

When Nessarose awoke, nothing seemed familiar anymore. Not the sterile white ceiling and walls, not the sheets and blankets she was lying under. She was in a hospital, she reasoned, but why? A shooting pain went through her head as she opened her eyes wider, forcing her to squeeze them shut again. _My head, I must have done something to my head. But what? _She struggled to remember. _A library…_ The memory faded just as quickly as it came. _What was I doing in a library? Why was I there? _Panicking, Nessarose found that she couldn't recall why. Forcing herself to calm down, she told herself to recount all she could remember. _My name is Nessarose Melena Thropp. I'm sixteen years old and I go to Shiz University. I have a sister named Elphaba; she's nineteen. My father is Frexspar and he's the governor of Munchkinland. _Suddenly, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Nessa? Nessa! Thank Oz, you're awake!" The voice sounded quite familiar to Nessarose, but she couldn't remember to whom it belonged. Turning her head, she caught a glimpse of a very pretty blonde girl sitting beside her. The girl looked to be her sister's age, with golden curls that fell around her face and bright azure eyes filled with relief. With a jolt, Nessarose suddenly became aware that the girl's hand was holding hers and she blushed in embarrassment. _Why is she holding my hand? Do I know her?_ Finding her voice, Nessarose managed to speak.

"Who- Who are you?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**So, here it is, finally! xMegxGiry's realizes she is horrendible and apologizes. We hope you like it! Please r&r!**

* * *

Streams of color were flying through Glinda's mind.

She was slowly waking up, as the once vivid colors faded to dull, almost ominous shades of black. But why was she waking up? She felt exhausted, like she could sleep for ages, but the absence of Nessa's warm arms-

"That's it!"

Groggily, Glinda pushed herself up on the bed. The room was pitch black, except for the gloomy green light from the clock, announcing it was just past midnight. For a moment, she was unsure of what was happening, before she remembered the events of that afternoon. Why she had been in Nessarose's arms in the first place. But she didn't want to think about that. She had been lying in the warmest arms, smelling the sweet scent of Nessa's blueberry conditioner, in joy. She had fallen asleep, as Nessa had taken her mind off of all Fiyero had said. But she wasn't in Nessa's arms anymore. Where was Nessa, anyway?

Glinda scanned her brain. Nessa wasn't much of a wanderer at midnight. In fact, Nessarose rarely went out at all, choosing instead to remain in the prison-like confinements of their room. Glinda was pleased enough to oblige with Nessa, but she did miss her shopping sprees. Still, she understood; a wheelchair was nearly impossible to navigate in.

_And focus, _she scolded herself, angry for getting so off track. Yes, Nessa wasn't a wanderer, but she was overprotective. Much too overprotective. Meaning that she was probably going Fiyero a piece of her mind for making her upset. With a small sigh, Glinda rubbed her temples. Why had she let her emotions get the better of her? She didn't need to run crying to Nessarose for everything. She wasn't weak. She was Glinda. Of the Upper Uplands.

_And now... I suppose I'll go back to sleep? Or should I go stop the inevitable fight between Nessa and Fiyero...?_

* * *

_"Who... who are you?"_

For a moment, all Glinda was aware of was the fact that Nessarose had finally woken up, after waiting all night. But then the words hit her. Worse than a ton of bricks. That whole night, she had been crying, trying to get all the tears out so that she could face Nessa with a bright, happy smile when she finally woke up. It was only after so much, that she was barely able to keep her expression frozen in a small smile.

It was all going wrong. Why had Nessa just let go of her hand? Glinda had been holding on to the pale, small hand all night, trying to keep it warm. Nessarose had always been naturally warm, a good place to snuggle on those rare cool nights of summer. But after the accident, Nessarose had been completely frozen. The doctors had merely blamed it on the blood loss. Yes, Glinda did agree that that was part of it. Nessa had needed several transfusions. But that wasn't it. Nessarose's warmth had a magical quality to it. Even on the frozen nights, heat filled with love seemed to radiate from Nessa. Glinda was always frozen. Fiyero had once said that her body temperature was a reflection of her heart. Cold as ice. But Glinda saw it a different way. Just how pink went good with green, cold went good with warm. She was cool and Nessarose was warm. They went good together.

So when Glinda had felt the frozen hand, she had all but screamed her lungs out. Something just wasn't _right_. The doctors had looked at her with an expression that was pity mixed with "Uh, duh, she hit her head, something's obviously not right," but Glinda had ignored them. So what if they had fancy certificates and fancy titles? She knew better than them, and that was it.

Nessarose's blush brought her back to reality. Something was very wrong. The way Nessarose was looking at her with eyes filled with confusion... and not a hint of love in them. The way her lips were set, not slightly turned up at the corners, but turned down, as if upset.

"What's going on?"

And her tone was different, too. Instead of a cheerful, lovely tone, it was now sort of panicked and confused.

"N-Nessa," Glinda began, trying to keep her own panic down, for the sake of everyone. "Yesterday night, you sort of hit your head with an encyclopedia. Then, later last night... well, early this morning, I guess, the watchmen found you and called the ambulance... you fractured your skull and lost a lot of blood. They informed me last night, and I rushed here as quickly as possible. I-I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

_ Well, do you think she's okay? _her own brain snapped at her. Glinda chose not to answer; she didn't want to face the realty that her Nessa, her sweet Nessarose might not be okay. That she could've hit her head a lot harder than estimated.

Nessarose's eyes widened slightly. In confusion. So did that mean she didn't remember the accident? That wasn't good. At all. Could she have hurt her memory?

"I-I don't understand. Who _are_ you?"

Glinda was beginning to feel light-headed with panic. What did Nessarose mean?

"Don't you remember?" she asked, feeling her heart nearly burst out of her chest by the pace that it was going at. But Nessarose simply blushed more and shook her head slightly, grimacing as she did so. Glinda's heart cracked.

"You... you really don't remember me? At all?" she asked quietly, knowing that it was true. Nessarose had never been one to joke. She never played tricks on people. She was serious.

"I'm sorry," Nessarose whispered, "I really don't... who are you?"

That was the third time she had asked. But Glinda didn't have the strength to reply. It was so painful. She was sitting right next to her love, and yet, she was completely separated from her. Her vision began to blur slightly, as she felt the warning of tears.

"Not... nobody. Just rest. Get well. I'll send the doctors."

Glinda stood up, her back to Nessa. She felt like collapsing right there on the floor and crying, but she couldn't. Nessa would've wanted her to stay strong. She had to. She owed it to Nessa.

"No! Please, come back! I didn't mean to... I mean..."

But Nessa's protests were useless. Glinda only wanted her Nessa, the girl who loved her back unconditionally, who would comfort her in her depression. Glinda quietly shut the door behind her, and slid down against the door, burrying her face in her knees. What would she do now? She had never been strong. All she'd had before was Elphaba and Fiyero. Elphaba had left her, and Fiyero was now accusing her and lashing out at her at any chance he got. She'd found Nessa, her light in the sea of darkness. And just as quickly, she'd lost her brilliant light, her strength, her comfort, her warmth.

"Are you alright, miss?"

Glinda looked up to see Nessa's nurse standing over her with a worried expression. Glinda simply closed eyes for another moment before nodding weakly.

"Yes. But... Nessarose, she's awake. And she didn't remember-"

Glinda's voice cracked, and she suddenly couldn't go on. The nurse urged her to go on, but she couldn't. She just couldn't. After a moment, she felt the nurse's hands on her shoulders, trying to help her up. But Glinda jerked away from them. She didn't want those hands. They were too hot, much too got. Glinda's sensitivity to temperature was why she didn't allow many people to touch her. But Nessie had the perfect temperature. She only wanted those hands to touch her. Only.

She was still being led to a chair, but she stubbornly sat down on the ground, refusing to move. She was making a scene, she did know, but she didn't care. Everything was wrong. She wanted Nessa.

"Please cooperate," came the nurse's voice above her, but she simply refused to acknowledge it. It was better if she died, anyway. Why couldn't they kill her, so she could be with Nessa, in a place where they could be happy together? They both deserved that much.

A sting in her arm suddenly made her go limp. As the darkness enclosed her, she had time for one last thought.

_ I love you, Nessarose_.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! Hope you enjoy Chapter 3! :D

* * *

"Wait..." Nessarose's calls went ignored as the blonde girl hurried away, the faint sounds of crying beginning to be heard. Sighing, Nessarose slumped back onto her pillows and shakily raised a hand to touch her forehead, which she found was bandaged._ I wonder who she was,_ Nessarose thought. _She was quite pretty- beautiful even. What would she have wanted with me? _Another flash of remembrance came then- this one was a more physical memory: the feeling of holding someone in her arms, of stroking blonde curls and whispering "It's going to be okay."

"Miss Nessarose?" A doctor's brisk voice cut through her thoughts like a hot knife through butter. She had been so absorbed that she hadn't even heard the privacy curtain that surrounded her bed being pulled back. Nessarose looked up at the doctor. He was a middle aged man with grey hair combed neatly over his forehead and brown eyes without warmth, only a businesslike sense of dignity.

"Yes?" she replied, trying to sit up more in order to look more presentable. She only succeeding in sending a flash of pain through her head and grimacing, as she sank back down.

"Good, you remember who you are. That's the first step in the road to a full recovery. Now as I check your monitors and heart rate, please tell me everything that you can remember. I'm Doctor Connors, since I don't think you'll have remembered that." Feeling slightly insulted, Nessarose obliged, telling Dr. Connors about what she could recall about Elphaba, her father, her childhood, and a little bit about Shiz. He nodded and interjected with "hm"s and "I see"s every few seconds, something she found a bit annoying. He moved around her small hospital space with the no-nonsense rapidity of someone who had a lot of things to do and much too little time to possibly do it all. Checking her heart monitors, taking her blood pressure, and changing her IV were all finished within, by her thoughts, about twenty minutes. Then he sat in the bedside chair, pulled a notepad and pen from the pocket of his lab coat, and proceeded to take notes as she spoke. When she finished, he shut the notepad with a snap and replaced both in his pocket.

"Well Miss Nessarose, you seem to be in good physical condition. Your memory is another matter though. I'm not entirely sure if you will ever regain all of your memories, due to the magnitude of the injury you've sustained. But rest assured, we'll do all that we can to help. Now, we're going to keep you here for another two to three weeks to monitor your condition and keep it stable. After that, I have been informed by Madame Morrible that it is imperative you return to your studies," he informed her with a faintly detached air. Nessarose was reeling. What did he mean, she might never regain full memory? She wouldn't remember all the friends she had made, the people she'd met, the experiences she'd had. It seemed like an unbearably horrific prosepect.

"Will I be able to have visitors?" she asked. If she wouldn't be able to remember on her own, then she'd just have to have some help. Dr. Connors frowned.

"I'm not sure if that's the best idea," he replied and Nessarose felt her hopes begin to crash.

"Please, Dr. Connors. Please don't make me go through this alone," Nessarose begged, feeling the prick of tears starting to form in her eyes. The man heaved a sigh before nodding reluctantly.

"All right. But no more than five visitors a day. I'll be back this evening." With that, he left. Nessarose sighed and shut her eyes as exhaustion washed over her.

* * *

The next few days were a blur of people. Doctors and nurses buzzing around her space like so many bees, hooking her up to machines and performing all sorts of medical tests. Dr. Connors checked back twice a day and every evening, she'd go over what she remembered. In between his checks and the visits from medical personnel came the visits from classmates and teachers, so many she had trouble keeping them straight. Three well-to-do girls named Pfannee, Shenshen, and Milla had visited her the second day she was allowed to have visitors. They had spoken in high-pitched voices reminded Nessarose of birds, chattering incessantly about how sorry they were she had gotten hurt and bombarding her with questions, while interjecting recent tidbits of school gossip. Nessarose had decided it was people like them that Dr. Connors has been trying to avoid with his no-visits policy, but was happy that they'd come, anyway. Next had been two boys named Crope and Tibbett, whose jokes and wisecracks had kept Nessarose in stitches the entire time they were there. They'd brought her a stuffed bear that was wearing a blue sweater, as they'd told her that blue was her favorite color, and it now sat on her nightstand. Over the next week, she had been visited by a tall, handsome boy named Avaric, who'd seemed a bit aloof, but was polite nonetheless, Crope and Tibbett again, a quiet boy named Boq. He had black hair that was spiked in the front to stick out from under his red cap and he had brought her a bouquet of flowers and a stack of books. He seemed nice but a bit nervous and skittish, but once she got him started, Nessarose found he was smart and pleasant to talk to, and he wasn't bad looking.

"Nessa?" A boy's voice inquired. Nessarose looked up from one of the books that Boq had brought her, an adventure novel about a group of teenagers caught in the wilds of the Glikkus. Standing just inside the curtain was a tall boy clutching a bouquet of wildflowers. He was dressed in a well-made Shiz uniform that fit him well and his blond hair was combed and gelled neatly over his forehead. He turned a charming smile onto her, his light brown eyes twinkling with warmth. "Hey. Are you alright? Should I come back later or-?"

"No, no. Come in," Nessarose replied. The boy nodded and walked to the chair, placing the bouquet on her bedside table near the bear, the vase that held the flowers Boq had brought her, and the stack of books. Upon sitting down, Nessarose felt a slight chill of bitterness sweep on her. She couldn't think of why, she just knew that this boy, whoever he was, had given her a reason to dislike him. But she shook the feeling off. "I'm Fiyero, by the way. Fiyero Tiggular." Nessarose nodded. "Who else has visited you?"

"Um, Pfannee, Milla, Shenshen, Avaric, Crope, Tibbett, Boq..." Nessarose trailed off, noticing that Fiyero's smile had widened at the mention of Boq. "Fiyero...could you tell me something?"

"Sure. What is it?" he asked, suddenly becoming more serious.

"That blonde girl, who was with me when I woke up...Who is she?" The thought had been plaguing Nessarose for as long as she had been awake. The girl had seemed distraught when Nessarose couldn't remember who she was and hadn't come to visit her since. All traces of a smile left Fiyero's face completely.

"That's Glinda Upland. She was your...friend." Nessarose noticed the steel in his tone and the anger in his voice that came when he mentioned they were friends.

"That's all. Just friends?" Somehow Nessarose didn't believe him.

"Yes. If you're trying to ask I'd you two were anything more, you weren't. You always were crazy for Boq, anyways," he replied, avoiding her eyes.

Boq? Nessarose couldn't believe it. Sure he was nice, but...having anything beyond platonic feelings for him? The very thought bewildered her. But it would explain why he was nervous and why he brought flowers. Still, Nessarose couldn't fathom it.

"Listen Nessa, I have to go. But one last word of advice: don't trust Glinda. She's in it for herself and will use you without a second thought." With that, he left, and Nessa sunk into her bed, more confused than ever. _Maybe a little sleep will help..._ she shut her eyes and within a few minutes, was asleep. She dreamed of blonde curls and more curiously, strawberries.


	4. Chapter 4

The afternoon sun hung around the sky, sending little beams of light everywhere. The only place that the sparkles of light could not dance into was a special spot, settled under a tree tilting at just the right angle, not quite hidden from view, but not open for everyone to see. It was where Elphaba had sat before leaving. And it was the place where Glinda now sat, freezing on the cold bench. Her bare legs were completely chilled and she tucked her arms around herself, thriving on the warmth of her white jacket.

To the right of her sat several notebooks, all in varying shades of pink, with a paper bag resting on top of them. Inside the paper bag was her uneaten lunch, consisting of her favorite peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich, a strawberry juice box, and two sugar cookies. To a stranger, it could seem like a completely normal lunch, but it meant the world to Glinda.

Her strawberry jelly had been made by both Thropp sisters, as they were surprisingly good in the kitchen. Elphie, Nessa, and her all had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch every day, but everyone had a different jelly. Elphie, who cared little about taste and always had her nose buried in some book, took the grape jelly or any of the leftovers. Nessa had blueberry jelly, to match with all her blue things, and Glinda had the strawberry jelly. Thank goodness they had made her a lot of jelly in one go. Or she would've run out.

And both sugar cookies had icing on them. Nessa had baked then before the accident. They had planned on sharing the cookies the following days of school. One had blue icing, and the other, pink. But Glinda couldn't bring herself to eat them without Nessa so most days, she just gave them to Milla.

"You look like you're freezing."

Glinda jumped out of her thoughts and blinked. Fiyero was standing in front of her, looking down at her with a frown upon his lips. Awkwardly, she moved over and waved her hand vaguely, gesturing to the empty spot next to her, but he continued to watch her, making her uncomfortable.

"I am," she muttered, rubbing her hands along her legs to create heat. But since she had none, it didn't work. All it did was make her legs ashy. Great. She's have to get two bottles of lotion to get rid of that.

"So why don't you sit in the sun...?" he asked, looking behind his shoulder. It was true; it wasn't quite autumn yet, temperature-wise. But something about the sun bothered her and she simply turned away.

"Well, okay, you don't have to talk to me. But I'm here to tell you... don't visit Nessa. She's barely getting better, and her memory hasn't come back. I don't want you to... mess with any of that. It's better if you stay away."

Glinda's chin began to tremble. Why was he so mean? She couldn't believe that he thought such horrendible things about her. "Why are you doing this? I love Nessa! Maybe..." Her voice caught, but she cleared it and continued going. "Maybe the only reason why you're being so overprotective is because you feel like you owe it to Elphie. And Nessa reminds you of her."

Glinda's breath quickened as she realized what she had said. Had she just initiated a fight with someone who could not lose? Fiyero's face flashed with anger as he stood above her, glaring.

"Maybe the reason about why you can't keep warm is because your heart is colder than ice. Don't give me that excuse, Glinda. I know you only want Nessa because you want her to love you. You don't really care about her at all, and you want to break her heart. Well, I'm warning you now. I'm going to make sure she gets someone good... someone who deserves a person as nice as her. If you break her heart, you'll have me to answer to."

And with that, he turned and left.

* * *

The same beams of light shone through the windows at the end of the corridor, where Glinda stood, ten minutes later. After Fiyero had left, Glinda had felt like throwing up, so she had gone into the bathroom of the nearest building, which turned out to be empty. She hasn't actually thrown up, so she had just waited in her stall as the nausea passed. She had nothing to throw up anyway. So it wouldn't make a difference.

And now she leaned against the door of the bathroom, contemplating whether she should stay there the rest of the day, or go out into the sun and smile at people she didn't want to smile to. With a sigh, she decided to stay there a bit longer. It couldn't hurt.

"An eagle's just... another bird... until he can spread his... wings..."

Out of nowhere, she began singing. It was something she loved, but hadn't done lately. Her voice soared through the notes, filling the small hallway, and she twirled, feeling warm, happy, and free. Something she hasn't felt in so long. A small laugh escaped her, and she closed her eyes.

But of course, reality had to set back in.

"What are you doing in here?"

Glinda nearly choked, and whirled around to find herself face to face with none other than Avaric Tenmeadows. Involuntarily, she whimpered. Avaric was never a good sign. He was slowly walking up to her and she backed up into the wall.

"Nothing," Glinda said lamely, looking down. Normally, she would've told him to go stuff it, but she had no remaining courage to so.

"Nothing? Are you waiting for someone, or are you here by yourself?"

The question confusified her, because normally Avaric would call her pretty and then proceed to asking her if she could show him how good she was at ballet by doing a private dance for him; Glinda always declined because she had no interest to be with Avaric, or anyone. Only Nessa.

"I'm just here by myself," she muttered, trying to turn away, but he grabbed her hand. Glinda tried to free it, but he was holding on tightly.

"Why is someone as pretty as you by herself? I never see you with any guys. Would you like to be my girl?"

Glinda's stomach twisted at the suggestion. The nausea was back. _No, I don't want to be your girl, _Glinda thought_. I belong only to... to Nessa, she just doesn't know it!_

"Why not, Glinda," he continued, advancing on her, "I'm a good guy. And I want you to be my girl. Or..." He suddenly stopped talking and got a twisted smile on his face, sending shivers down Glinda's back. "Do you not like men? Do you like women?"

"Let me go," Glinda warned, failing in yanking her hand out of his grasp. But Avaric was now laughing with delight as he grasped her wrist tighter.

"So _that's _your secret! Ha! _Ha! _I knew it! I wonder how the school's gonna react to it? I don't know, what do you think, Glinda? Do you think you'll still be _popular_?"

"Let me go!" Glinda hissed, suddenly noticing that the room had gotten a lot darker. She pulled her arm, but Avaric's nails dug into her wrist, until blood began to trickle from it. She whimpered, and tried to elbow Avaric in the face, but he was simply too strong.

"Were you sleeping around with the green bean? Tell me, is she green all over?"

At that point, Glinda didn't know what else to do. She began screaming as loudly as she could. Avaric put his filthy hands over her mouth, but she bit them as hard as she could. Her anger escalated. What did the bastard think he was doing?

"Shut up! Shut up!" He slammed her against the wall and pressed his lips against hers. Glinda's eyes widened in panic and she tried to push him away, but he was winning.

Her head was spinning and the room was turning dark. She couldn't breathe, not with his disgusting lips over her face. She was about to give up when she suddenly heard a door fly open. Avaric said a bad word and threw her against the ground as he climbed out of a window. Glinda sat, massaging her throat and shaking as she waited for her savior to help her.

But it was Fiyero.

"Will you quit your screaming?" he snapped, striding over to her side, where she simply ignored him; she had long ago stopped screaming. Glinda quietly sobbed into her knees, getting her bloody wrist all over her white uniform. Her lips stung, and she could already feel then swelling. Her heart was torn with sorrow-and anger. Everybody knew Avaric was a jerk, but Glinda would never have suspected him of molesting girls. She could still taste him, still feel his hot breath on her.

"Why did I see Avaric just leave? What happened?"

Glinda continued to ignore him, but then he pulled her arm out. Glinda had no time to cover her wrist. Fiyero looked like he was going to make her stand up until his eyes landed on the blood. His face turned several colors before settling on red.

"You were cutting yourself," he snapped, glaring down at her. "What for? Attention? Nessa's attention? Or Avaric's attention? I knew you didn't love her; I can see your lips completely swollen! You cut yourself to get Avaric's attention, and you were making out with him!"

Glinda gasped in shock. What was Fiyero thinking? That she would swoop so low as to cut for attention?! "No," she whispered. "No, I wasn't. I didn't! I wasn't cutting myself, I-"

But as she looked down, her heart fell. There was no way of convincing him otherwise. Avaric had cut straight across her wrist, making it look just like self-administered cuts. They looked completely real. Glinda simply looked down and gave up.

"Get up," Fiyero commanded her. "And clean up your wrist. Don't ever let me catch you cutting again."


	5. Chapter 5

Nessarose looked around the hospital, sighing in boredom and discontent. It had been two weeks since she'd woken up; it'd be three by this Friday. She'd read all of the books Boq had brought her- some of them twice, and since it was the middle of a school day, no one could come and visit her. She hated being in the hospital, what with its sterile white walls and sheets and nurses who came and checked how she was doing every hour. Nessarose thought it all was rather unnecessary; Dr. Connors had told her she was doing much better physically. The bandages on her head had been changed to a simple patch of gauze on her forehead and she felt fine, if restless.

She knew they were keeping her here because she hadn't gotten back her memory yet. Sure there were the odd flashbacks of her childhood and growing up in Quadling Country, but she was yet to recall anything since she started attending Shiz, which worried the doctors. Apparently her time at Shiz should have been one of the first things she remembered, as it had happened so recently and the fact that she hadn't made them incredibly nervous. The only reason they could come up with is that there was something, some kind of mental block, keeping her from remembering. If she or they could figure out what it was and get past it, she would regain those memories and it'd be much easier to recall the past. The only problem was that no one knew why she had that block. Nothing traumatic had happened that would trigger Nessarose's brain into protecting itself. So for now, she was stuck in the hospital while everyone fussed over her and constantly prodded her on what she could remember. Oh well, at least she had to return to her studies at the end of the week. Nessarose leaned back onto her pillows and let her eyes flutter shut. She wasn't tired in the slightest but now that she'd read all of her books, sleeping was the only effective time-waster she had left. She recalled the dreams she'd been having as she snuggled deeper into the thick comforter of the hospital bed.

They'd started only a few days after she'd regained consciousness. At first they were only bits and pieces: spinning around in a crowded ballroom, holding Elphaba's hand as she glared across at the other students, and the feeling of someone's- not Elphaba's- hand holding her own. But they'd grown over time, until she could now piece together a few entire dreams- or were they memories?- of a dance in the Ozdust Ballroom and of her first day of school. She hadn't told anyone about them; they seemed to her almost like fantasies that her mind had made up, especially a particular dream that visited her on occaision. In that dream, she was holding someone in her arms as they cried, whispering comforting words to them. That dream was one that she could barely remember after she woke up, yet she loved and treasured it more than any of the others, because it left her with a pleasant, happy, safe feeling when it ended.

"Miss Nessarose?" The soft, cautious voice of one of the ever-present nurses dragged her back to the present. Blinking her eyes, Nessarose pushed herself back up against the pillows, feeling slightly embarrassed that she'd been caught napping.

"Yes?" She replied quickly, offering the nurse a smile of greeting.

"There's someone here to see you." At those words, Nessarose visibly perked up. She hadn't gotten many visitors as of late and she had been dying for someone to come and see her. Nessarose nodded and the nurse left, presumably to bring in whoever it was that wanted to see her. _Crope or Tibbett, most likely_, Nessarose figured. They were the kind of people who would cut class to visit her, especially if it was one they didn't like. She ran her fingers through her chocolate brown hair and did her best to straighten out her hospital gown, wanting to look presentable. The curtain slid back and Nessarose smiled, expecting to see Crope's neat blond curls or Tibbett's unruly pale brown waves. Much to her surprise the girl who had been there weeks ago, Glinda, tentatively entered.

"Hello," Nessarose greeted cautiously, not knowing what to think. Fiyero's warnings flashed briefly through her mind as she looked at the girl standing just inside. Her golden blonde curls looked perfect and her clothes were in the latest fashion, but there was something about her that set Nessarose on edge a little. There was a sense of hurt and desperation about her, and now that she examined Glinda more thoroughly, she saw that the blonde was trembling slightly and that the edge of her blouse was stained with something that looked almost like blood. "Are you alright?" She asked in concern, her brow furrowing. Glinda didn't look well at all.

"Yes, thank you. It-It's good to see you, Nessa," Glinda replied, sitting down in the folding chair by her bedside. "I'm sorry I ran out earlier, I was just…overwhelmed." Nessarose nodded.

"I understand. I'm glad you're back now, though." She offered Glinda a comforting smile, one that the older girl hesitantly returned. As Nessarose looked into Glinda's sea blue eyes, she could see that they were brimming with unshed tears. "It's Glinda, right?" Glinda's smile widened considerably, some relief entering her expression.

"You remembered?"

"Well, um…I- Fiyero told me," Nessarose finished lamely, feeling incredibly guilty. "I asked him about you." The relieved expression dropped off Glinda's face and she blinked rapidly, clearly trying to hold back tears.

"Oh. What did he tell you?" Her tone was one of carefully controlled calm, but her voice was shaking slightly as she asked. On impulse, Nessarose reached out and covered Glinda's still trembling hand with her own, wanting more than anything to comfort the girl beside her.

"He said we were friends," she told her softly, looking up at Glinda, wanting to gauge her reaction. She still didn't quite believe Fiyero when he told her she loved Boq.

"Just friends?" Glinda asked quietly, the tears beginning to run down her cheeks. Nessarose's eyes widened and she squeezed Glinda's hand, wishing there was something she could do to stop the blonde from crying. She nodded in response to Glinda's question and the other girl squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head before opening tear-filled eyes once more and looking at Nessarose with a kind of gentle affection. Reaching out, Glinda placed her hand on Nessarose's cheek, her fingertips barely brushing the skin. Nessarose stiffened and her breath hitched, her eyes closing momentarily as she unconsciously leaned into Glinda's touch. "Nessa…Dear, sweet, stubborn, brave, beautiful Nessa. My Nessarose…" Glinda whispered softly, so softly that Nessarose could barely hear it. Before either of them could react, Glinda's lips were pressed against her own, kissing her with a desperate passion.

Nessarose stiffened even more, her face growing hot and her whole body shuddering slightly. Glinda's lips tasted like strawberries and the salty tang of tears and she was kissing Nessarose like it was the last time she ever would. Nessarose's mind was telling her to break the kiss, that whatever was happening, it wasn't supposed to be. But she stayed there, letting Glinda kiss her and kiss her and kiss her.

It was Glinda who pulled away first, causing Nessa to reopen her eyes. Her breathing was coming in uneven spurts as she gazed at the blonde across from her. Tears still were tracing their way down Glinda's cheeks, but there was a small, genuine smile on her face and a blissful, faraway look in her cerulean eyes. Nessarose bit her lip uncertainly, dropping her eyes from Glinda's and blushing furiously as a wave of mixed emotions crashed over her. She felt elated from the kiss, but at the same time confused, conflicted, and scared. She couldn't fully comprehend what had happened and knew that whatever had wouldn't go unnoticed. Gently disentangling herself from Glinda, Nessarose folded her hands in her lap and looked down at them.

"I think you should go," she whispered, feeling tears pricking sharply at the corners of her eyes. She heard Glinda's breath hitch and felt the covers tighten as the other girl clenched them in her hands._Please,_ Nessarose begged silently, _don't make this any harder. I want you to stay but I just…I just can't right now._

"Nessa, no…Please, Nessarose…I-I love you…" Glinda's voice broke and with it, Nessarose's heart. Shaking her head vigorously, she struggled to control the sobs that threatened to break free at any moment, letting her hot tears roll uncontrollably down her face. She shut her eyes and swallowed thickly, tightening her hands in her lap, each hand squeezing the other until it hurt horribly. But it kept the emotional pain at bay, at least for now.

"Please…Just go." Nessarose said with more strength than she'd thought was possible, considering she was on the verge of a breakdown. She heard Glinda sob and her heart lurched, the tears coming faster and thicker so that even if she had opened her eyes, the entire world would have been a blur. Glinda got up and left then, the sounds of heels clicking on the tile floor and badly muffled sobbing painfully evident until the hospital door slammed shut with a loud bang. Nessarose began to cry in earnest, her shoulders shaking violently as she buried her face in her hands. She was so confused, so conflicted, so lost, and Glinda had only made it worse. It wouldn't have been a problem if Nessarose hadn't accepted Glinda's kisses, if she was disgusted by the fact that the blonde had actually kissed her. But that wasn't the case. Kissing Glinda had felt right. Weirdly, Bizarrely, wonderfully right.

Later that day Nessarose lay silently in bed, staring blankly across the white linen pillowcase and at her nightstand with its assorted books, flowers, and teddy bear. Her tears had dried up a while ago, but she could still feel their ever-present threat behind her eyes, waiting for a chance to be let out. It was evening now, the windows in the hospital letting in deep orange light that streaked the ceiling and walls in color. She had cried for a long time after Glinda had left, more sobs leaving her than she had ever thought possible. Nessarose knew that she had never cried that hard ever before, even if she could barely remember anything. It was just something you knew, she'd figured, how much you'd cried. She'd sobbed out of frustration of losing her memory, out of the confusion and fear that came with it, and out of whatever it was she felt for Glinda- even now, she still wasn't sure. Now she just lay there, lost in thought, replaying the kiss and the conversation leading up to it over and over in her mind. Suddenly, there was a tentative knock on the wall outside the curtain that surrounded her bed.

"Come in," Nessarose croaked, suddenly aware of how she must look. Her eyes were no doubt horribly red from crying and she sat up hastily, running her fingers through her hair to get it to look better. Fiyero entered and sat down, a smile on his face.

"Hey, Nessa-" He stopped suddenly as he examined her more closely. "Is everything okay?" Nessarose nodded, not wanting for Fiyero to become involved.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied quietly, looking him in the eyes. His light brown eyes were warm and comforting, and filled with a brotherly concern.

"You don't have to lie to me, Nessa. What's bothering you? I know something's wrong," he said, placing a hand on her arm. She shook her head and her eyes began to fill with tears once again, much to her horror.

"I-I…Glinda and I kissed," she blurted out, her eyes widening once she realized what she'd done. The concern in Fiyero's face changed to stony anger and his hand tightening slightly on her arm.

"She kissed you?" He intoned, outrage permeating his tone. Nessarose didn't respond, still frozen in shock that she'd actually told him. "That cheating little bitch," he hissed, releasing Nessarose and standing up quickly, straightening out his jacket and running a hand through his hair. He looked furious and he turned back to Nessarose. "Don't worry, Nessa. I'll make sure that won't happen again." He turned on his heel and left, the door slamming shut behind him with yet another loud bang.

"No…" Nessarose said aloud, her pulse racing. But it was too late.


	6. Chapter 6

Glinda slowly woke up the next morning. The first thing she felt was cold, and a moment later, she realized why. She had gone to sleep on the bathroom floor.

Shivering, she lay there, simply staring at the wall. Her life was falling apart. Why had Nessarose sent her away? She had expected Nessa to remember something, to tell her to stay, to be happy. But Nessarose had told her to go away. Glinda had asked, even begged to stay, but she had seen Nessa's eyes overflowing with tears. So she had no choice but to leave. Thinking with a clear mind, she shouldn't have kissed Nessa... she shouldn't have even gone to visit her. She should have listened to Fiyero and stayed away. But she couldn't. Not after the way Avaric had kissed her. She needed assurance that she was loved, a kiss from someone she loved... but Nessa wasn't her Nessa anymore.

"Nessa," Glinda breathed, on the ground. "You don't know how much you hurt me... being so close and yet not here." But before her eyes could fill up with tears again, she stood up. A ghost of a song filled her head, with whispers of the name Nessa all over. Glinda did her best to ignore it, and she took a shower.

It was Friday, but it was a staff developmental day, so there were no classes. Glinda idly applied makeup and chose another uniform to wear. The one she had worn the previous day was now at the dry-cleaners with special instructions to remove all traces of blood. She had no idea what to do; mostly, she wanted to go see Nessa again. There was a call from the hospital, drawing her towards it, but she couldn't succumb to it.

A growl roused her from her thoughts. She realized it was her stomach; she hadn't eaten since breakfast the day before. With a sigh, she realized she would have to go buy greasy food and give herself indigestion by eating it. Glinda grabbed her purse and walked out of her dorm.

She scowled at the sun and walked into the shade. Few students were there, some just sitting there, reading a book, and some gossiping. From afar, she could see Tibbett and Crope laughing about something. She turned away and kept her eyes straight ahead. She wanted to talk to no one. She was just getting stupid food, then going to her dorm and stare at the wall some more.

She finally reached the food court, and her nose wrinkled in distaste. There were a lot more people there, stuffing their faces with greasy fries and meat. Her stomach turned over, but just as yesterday, she had nothing to throw up.

Glinda finally got in line for a sandwich. Without meat or cheese. The thought of food was still making her slightly ill, so she turned away from it, trying to breathe clear air with no hint of food. However, her sensitive nose caught whiff of something even more unwelcome than food; Fiyero's cologne. Glinda's eyes snapped open in fear. She hadn't given a thought about him at all-mainly, she had been focused on why Nessa had pushed her away. But surely... Nessa wouldn't have told him? No. No, Nessa wouldn't. But still, there was a feeling of unease around her. She didn't want to talk to Fiyero. But she couldn't hide from him forever. Glinda stonily turned towards the line and rolled her shoulders back. She was Glinda. Of the Upper Uplands. Not some common lower-class person.

But Fiyero's cologne was even closer. Glinda wrinkled her nose; it could detect any smell around her, which was one of the only reasons why she could only stand certain perfumes. And Fiyero's made her want to dive for an air mask.

"Look who's there!"

_Caught_! Glinda whirled around, to see Fiyero standing there, his face red with anger as he glared at her. Glinda whimpered, but she simply stepped out of the line, walking bravely to face him. He couldn't keep on treating her however he wanted. She tossed her hair and made her way towards him.

"So, you thought you'd be smart and you went to visit Nessa anyway, huh?" His voice was loud and angry. The whole food court was suddenly quiet and everyone turned to look at them both. Glinda's panic escalated; he'd found out. Nessa had told him. Her heart cracked, but she kept her face up. She was paying attention only to Fiyero's face, but a snicker from the side caught her off guard. She turned her head slightly to see Avaric staring at her with a nasty smirk on his face as he made kissy sounds at her.

"What is it, Glinda, am I interrupting something with your _boyfriend_?" Fiyero continued, stepping forward and looking down at her. Glinda had no answer and she stepped back. That was the story of her life these days; stepping back.

"He's not my boyfriend, he kissed me, I would never-"

"Shut up! Shut up, you little bitch!"

Glinda gasped in shock and hurt. What was he doing? Why had he called her that? Her face crumpled slightly, and even more so when Avaric began laughing.

Why was he laughing? He had absolutely no right to do so. Glinda's anger peaked and she marched forward, ready to put a nice bump on Avaric's head. Unfortunately, her fist never got there because Fiyero stepped in front of him.

"Get away, Glinda. It's not his fault that you like to cheat on people. I know what you did yesterday. And you're going to pay for that."

That was a threat. And Glinda didn't take threats lightly. She swallowed and tried to keep her voice from shaking. "I don't know what your problem is, but I didn't do anything. Avaric kissed me, I tried to fight, but-"

"My problem is that you drag other people into this. I couldn't care less if you've slept with everyone on this campus. You're already the most dirtiest, nasty cheater I've ever met. But don't bring Nessarose down with you. She's too good for you, I already told you that!"

Fiyero's voice was yelling at the end. Glinda closed her eyes and a small tear leaked out. He was yelling lies. In front of everyone.

The next thing she saw was a flash of blue and a moment later, her cheek was on fire. She could hear gasps everywhere, and a moment later, she understood what had happened.

Fiyero had slapped her.

Her desperation turned to pure fury and she charged at Fiyero, unsure if what to do. But just before she completely lost it and threw herself at him, the blood inside her mouth pooled up. And it went down her throat. She could clearly feel each drop of the rust-salt smell of blood. And she could taste it, too. All in her mouth. She lurched and was violently sick all over the floor. Thank goodness the food court was actually outdoors; and not inside, or she would've had to clean it all up.

Glinda stood there, hunched over, breathing shallowly. Her breaths came quickly and unevenly. She felt sick and tired. And embarrassed. Her cheeks turned dark red as she lamely spit out more blood.

Fiyero had slapped her. And she had just thrown up all over the grass. And her cheek was still bloody. The tears and faster, and the crowd was silent. Why did they have to stare? Couldn't they just leave her alone? It was horrendible moments like these when Nessarose made her feel so much better; Nessarose would've taken her into her arms and whispered soothing, reassuring words. It was what Glinda wanted. Slowly, she straightened herself and covered her face with her hands. As a child, she had always thought that if she couldn't see someone, then they couldn't see her. Now, she knew better. Everyone was still staring at her. But she couldn't see them and that made everything slightly more comforting.

"Glinda? Are you...?"

Fiyero's shocked, angry voice came, but Glinda ignored it, as usual. She just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

"Glinda, are you pregnant?"

Shock.

Silence.

A heartbeat.

Then Avaric's intense laughter as he doubled over and was the only one making a sound in the sea of silence and stares. Glinda's mouth dropped and she began trembling with rage. How could Fiyero think that? She hadn't ever been with Avaric, it was just the stupid horrendible-tasting blood.

"Glinda's great in bed," Avaric choked out, making Fiyero's face turn murderous. Glinda felt her face go from red to completely white. And then the crowd started whispering. She could feel their eyes and their comments directed towards her, calling her names. She stared wordlessly at Fiyero, with tears of fury and desperation streaming down her face, but he was now regarding her like a filthy street person.

"I don't ever want to see you near Nessa again. You whore, you've been with Avaric and now you have the nerve to go kiss... oh, Glinda, I swear to to that you will be reduced to nothing if I ever see you near her again!"

And the crowd dispatched slowly, and Fiyero went to sit at a table by himself, furiously stabbing a steak with his fork.

And Glinda just crossed her arms and walked slowly back to her dorm, keeping her head bowed as people pointed and whispered.

_Nessa, I need you. I wish you could see what Fiyero's doing to me. He slapped me. Oh, Nessa, please, please get better. I need you. I need you. I need you..._


	7. Chapter 7

Nessarose was skimming over her History textbook when there came another knock on the wall. Outside the curtain she heard the sounds of chattering voices forming disembodied sentences, the swoosh of skirts, and the annoying clack of heels on tile. Sighing, she carefully folded over the corner of her page on the founding of the Emerald City and said, "Come in."

Milla, Pfannee, and Shenshen pushed back the curtain and hurried in, almost falling over one another in their haste to enter the small space. After a few moments of scuffling and finding places to stand they fell silent, regarding her with something close to pity. Milla gave Nessarose a quick hug, much to the younger girl's surprise, pulling back and straightening out her skirt and blouse.

"We're_so _sorry, Nessa!" Pfannee exclaimed, reaching out to clasp her hand. Nessarose regarded them with suspicion and confusion, not quite sure what they were talking about. _There's no way they would know about Glinda kissing me, is there? No, Fiyero would have never told them…At least, I don't think he would have. But if that's not it, what in Oz's name are they talking about?_

"None of us saw it coming," Shenshen added, nodding her head furiously. "I mean, _Glinda and_ _Avaric_?" Nessarose frowned slightly removing her hand from Pfannee's tight grip.

"I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied. Their eyes grew collectively wider and all three gasped at the same time. Nessarose had to keep from rolling her eyes at the melodrama of it all. Still, her heart had starting to beat a little faster at the mention of Glinda. "What about Glinda and Avaric?"

"You don't know?" Shenshen gasped, wringing her hands. "We thought someone would have told you by now, considering it's all over the school!" Nessarose's mouth was a bit dry and she swallowed, getting a few butterflies in her stomach. Whatever it was these three were all worked up about, it involved herself, Glinda, and Avaric.

"What is?" Nessarose questioned, becoming more restless with each passing second. She hated not knowing what was going on.

"That Glinda cheated on you with Avaric and now she's pregnant with his child!"Pfannee blurted out, clapping her hands to her mouth as soon as she said it. Nessarose felt as though a train had hit her. _Glinda cheated on me? She and I were…dating? And now her and Avaric? She's pregnant? What's going on?_

"What? Glinda and I- I don't think she would ever-" Nessarose couldn't even form full sentences thanks to the shock that had encompassed her entire being. She felt a lump form in her throat. _She kissed me and said she loved me… Was that, all that sadness and crying, all an act?_ _Was Fiyero right? Was she just taking advantage of me not remembering her? Didn't- Didn't I mean anything? _She drew in a shuddering breath and steadied herself. She would not cry in front of these girls, who would no doubt report her reaction back to the entire school.

"It's true. Today during lunch, Fiyero started yelling at her out of the blue about how she's visited you and that you're too good for her. And then he slapped her! Can you believe it? Then Glinda threw up right there, all over the floor and Fiyero said she was pregnant and Avaric said she was good in bed! Then Fiyero called her a whore and said if she ever came near you again, she'd regret it and stormed out. Then Glinda left and Avaric just sat there, laughing with his friends. We all saw it," Pfannee explained, while the other two nodded at every word.

"Avaric said that Glinda was always so eager to get in bed with him, she practically tore his clothes off whenever she saw him! I always thought Glinda was classier than that; everyone knows Avaric sleeps around," Milla added. Nessarose felt sick. Her stomach began to hurt and her head spun fiercely as she tried to get a hold on her emotions. She swallowed again, forcing herself to stay calm. Too late, Milla realized what effect their words had had on the younger girl.

"Anyway, we're really sorry and we're here for you whenever. Now let's go girls, I think she needs time alone." With that, Milla practically shoved Pfannee and Shenshen from the room and out of the hospital.

Nessarose felt the tears beginning to spill over and she wiped them away roughly. She'd cried too much already; she was sick of crying.

Nessarose couldn't believe it. Glinda had seemed so heartbroken and sincere when she had come to visit just yesterday, as though she was genuinely upset by the fact that Nessarose could barely remember her. But now, Nessarose wasn't so sure. Avaric had seemed nice enough when he'd visited, but he'd spoken condescendingly and had made it abundantly clear he was visiting because it was what society expected him to do, not because he felt anything one way or the other. Now, that attitude compared with Glinda's tears seemed like the perfect cover to Nessarose. Just pretend like you're heartbroken your girlfriend- well, ex-girlfriend now, Nessarose thought bitterly- can't remember you, and you're free to fool around with some stupid Margreave's son.

But something about that didn't quite add up with her. Glinda had seemed truly saddened and depressed when she'd come to visit, but there was more to it. There was that desperation to be loved in her eyes, which had clearly come to the surface when she'd kissed her. Nessarose wanted to believe that Glinda had actually, really and truly loved her, but if what they said was true and she was pregnant with Avaric's child, then there was nothing that could be done. It was time to face facts; Glinda didn't love her and probably never had. Fiyero was right. Glinda had only wanted someone to love her and Avaric had conveniently been there to replace her. _Replace me?_ Nessarose laughed humorlessly, a bitter sound that echoed from the walls of the otherwise empty hospital. _She's probably been with that idiot from the start. I was just too head over heels for her to realize it. _But that wasn't all. She loved Glinda. She really and truly felt things for the blonde girl that frightened her with their intensity. _But, _she reminded herself,_She's with Avaric now and probably always was. So do your best to put her behind you. _

Yet another knock sounded on the wall but unlike the ones before it, this knock was tentative. Nessarose was sorely tempted to tell whoever it was to go away, but she instead drew in a deep breath and said, "Come in."

Boq entered cautiously, giving her a small, lopsided smile as he did. She smiled back at him in relief; she wouldn't have been able to handle it if Fiyero, or Oz forbid, Glinda, had been the one to enter.

"Hey, Nessa," he greeted her warmly, standing at her bedside.

"Hello, Boq," she replied.

"I was wondering: do you maybe want to take a walk with me?" He asked quickly, as though afraid she would refuse if he asked too slowly. Nessarose's smile widened. This was the perfect start to putting Glinda in the past.

"I'd love to." He beamed and, going outside the curtain for a minute, brought in her wheelchair, a shawl, her pale pink headband, and a pair of socks and slippers. Nessarose put them on quickly and took his proffered hand as he gently helped her into the chair.

Adjusting her headband one final time, she turned and smiled up at Boq.

"Ready?"He asked.

"Ready,"she replied steadily. Much to her delight, she found that she truly _was_ ready. Ready to go out in the open and face the world. Ready to show Shiz that Nessarose Thropp wasn't someone to be manipulated, pushed around, and pitied. Her face quirked into a small smirk as she thought, _Elphaba would be proud. _She pushed away the pang of sadness that came when she thought of her sister and sat up straighter as Boq wheeled her out of the hospital, down the hall, and through the double doors.

"I was thinking we'd go through the garden," he remarked as he wheeled her down a cobblestone path. Thankfully most everyone was inside and those that weren't had the courtesy not to stare.

"That sounds lovely," Nessarose replied, relishing the feeling of the sun and the breeze on her skin. Inhaling deeply, she let a contented smile come to her face; this was truly perfect. Boq continued to make small talk as they entered the garden and Nessarose nodded and responded in kind, feeling incredibly at ease. Unlike the reckless feelings that came with Glinda, Boq made her feel secure and safe, like she could tell him anything and he wouldn't tell a soul unless she told him to. _Yes,_ she thought to herself, _Maybe, just maybe, I could fall in love with this Munchkin boy._

The garden in and of itself was beautiful, with the cobblestone path twisting through the trees and flowers. The leaves were every shade of gold, orange, red, and the occasional purple as they fluttered down through the breeze, and the flowers were still in full late summer bloom. The whole place had a quiet serenity about it, something that Nessarose appreciated even more after having to deal with the constant comings and goings of everyone in the hospital. Here was a place she could think and not have a soul bother her. Looking around, she saw a slim figure standing in a small clearing in the trees. The person was dressed in white, with angelic blonde curls falling around their shoulders and piercing blue eyes. With a jolt of shock, Nessarose realized that it was Glinda. Thankfully, Boq hadn't seemed to have noticed and continued talking about schoolwork and exams.

Nessarose tried to look away but it was too late; Glinda had already seen her. She didn't make an attempt to come closer though, just stood there, staring eye-to-eye with Nessarose. It was as though she was under a spell; try as she might, Nessarose couldn't look away. So she peered into those entrancing azure eyes that the last time she'd seen them had been filled with tears. In those eyes, she saw the same emotions she felt: anger, frustation, fear. She knew in that moment that Glinda was through the same things she was, was feeling just as hopeless and lost. Nessarose was suddenly overcome by a fierce longing to kiss Glinda senseless and hold her and promise to never let her go. She shivered, the sudden onset of emotion scaring her, as the feeling had hit her out of the blue, with no warning or indication. But if the passion now in Glinda's eyes was any indication, the older girl felt the same thing too.

But the moment ended too soon, since Avaric came up behind the blonde, placed one hand deftly on her slim waist, and turned her around, pressing his lips to hers in a hard kiss. Blushing furiously and feeling ashamed, Nessarose dropped her eyes to her lap. Why had she even been thinking about Glinda?! She was with Boq. And Glinda had Avaric. _Nessarose and Boq. Glinda and Avaric. That's how it must be. _

* * *

A/N: Hellow, fellow Ozians! Me and TheWitch'sDorothy would like to apologize for the super long wait. Actually, it's all my fault, but I have the innability to take responsibility for my actions. We hope you had a wonderfulific holiday season! We did! I'm really happy to announce that me and TheWitch'sDorothy are now dating! :D We're really happy and we love all of you, and remeber to review! :D


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